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Without milk and cheese, the bliny would just be sad pancakes.

It celebrates, among other things, the end of winter, so traditions include sledding and snowball fights, and eating “bliny’’ pancakes — a symbol of buttery treats that are given up during Lent.

Mama would make thin, yeasty bliny and then stuff them with cheese, fold them up, and fry them.

They needed the goat milk to make the cheese and to add to the bliny batter itself.

Many of the villagers provided Mama with milk and cheese, and she made dozens and dozens of bliny for everyone.